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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House OKs move to invite civil society 'watchdogs' to budget deliberations

House OKs move to invite civil society 'watchdogs' to budget deliberations

Published Aug 5, 2025 06:08 pm

At A Glance

  • The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that seeks to institutionalize the participation of civil society "watchdogs" in the annual national budget deliberations.
The House plenary (Contributed photo)
The House plenary (Contributed photo)


The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that seeks to institutionalize the participation of civil society "watchdogs" in the annual national budget deliberations.
Adopted during plenary session Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 5 was House Resolution (HR) No.94, titled, "Resolution institutionaizing the active participation of bona fide people's organizations as official non-voting observers in the public hearings of the Committee on Appropriations on the national budget and all subsequent general appropriations".
Majority leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos made the motion to adopt the resolution, which was principally authored by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Following a simple voice voice (ayes vs. nayes), Deputy Speaker Lanao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Yasser Alonto Balindong declared the measure are adopted by the chamber.
It was only last week when Romualdez bared in plenary his intention to tap civil society observers beginning with the deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget. He then filed HR No.94 in the current 20th Congress.
“We will allow the participation of watchdogs in all levels of budget deliberation — from committee hearings to plenary sessions,” Romualdez said in his speech on July 29.
The resolution provides that the House of Representatives would formally accredit and invite bona fide people's organizations to actively participate as official non-voting observers in the public deliberations of the Committe on Appropriations and its sub- committees in the crafting of the national budget for fiscal year 2026 and in all succeeding annual budgets.
"The Committee on Appropriations, in consultation with the Committee on People's Participation, shall formulate appropriate guidelines to determine eligibility, accreditation procedures, and the scope of participation of such organizations, consistent with existing laws and rules of the House," it added.
It further said that "the active participation of stakeholders including bona fide people's organizations- can help ensure that the national budget is grounded in the realities, aspirations, and needs of the Filipino people".
The House of Representatives is expected to get its hands on the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) on Aug. 13. The NEP is the basis of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget.
Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing, the appropriations panel chairperson, said the budget deliberations will begin on Sept. 1.
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